Boca Raton News

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8/2/2017

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What Parents Should Know Going into 2017 School Year

With the 2017-18 school year around the corner, there are several changes and new rules parents and students should know. Education expert Andrea Catsicas, who owns Mindworks Prep (www.mindworksprep.com) an ACT/SAT test teaching program, says most of the changes involve how high schoolers can best position themselves for college.

1.) Bright Futures Bonus – FREE COLLEGE
The value of the top Bright Futures scholarship is increasing from about half of tuition and fees to 100 percent. Students who earn the top Bright Futures scholarships are in for a windfall this coming year, receiving twice as much money as expected. But there’s no guarantee it will be there for future years. Students must have an A average in high school and receive a 1290 on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT.

2.) August SAT Test Debuts
The new August test date will be beneficial to many rising seniors, as they’ll have a chance to take the test before the rigors of the fall of senior year kick in. They’ll also be able to better assess whether they’re prepared to apply early to their top-choice college. The test will take place on August 26th with registrations closing on August 15th.

3.) Tighter SAT Security
Issues with SAT test security and cheating have been pervasive over the last year, with many tests administered either cancelled or scores invalidated because of concerns over whether or not the tests were compromised. Make sure your student does anything that be mistaken for cheating.

4.) Subtracting (some) Algebra Testing: Older students get a reprieve from the difficult Algebra 2 End of Course. Parents have complained for years that students are over-tested, so the state is dropped the Algebra 2 End of Course exam.

5.) Running Away From P.E.
Athletes can now easily opt out of physical education classes. High school students are required to take two semesters of P.E. In the past, students who competed in two seasons of a varsity or junior varsity sport could be exempt from P.E., but they had to pass a written exam about fitness. That test has been eliminated.

*Andrea’s EXTRA CREDIT Notes:
- Students are now allowed to bring sunscreen to school, with no special permission required.
- Middle school career classes have been dropped (state funding issues)
- The state now requires schools to offer 100 minutes a week of recess. In the past, only 11 counties in the state require recess (Palm Beach County was not one of them)

About Mindworks Prep

Mindworks Prep teaches strategies that show students how to approach questions in original ways. Countless students have seen significant jumps in their SAT and ACT scores (score increases of up to 600 points and average increase of 200+).

View list of upcoming prep courses and BootCamps, Click Here

We use techniques that are employed by top private schools, and our educators have all personally achieved high scores on SAT and ACT tests. Mindworks is not just a student’s coach, we are a dedicated part of our student’s success story.